


The Great Lake

by Yatorihell



Series: In The Darkness [43]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, ノラガミ | Noragami
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-27 20:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14433141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yatorihell/pseuds/Yatorihell
Summary: The second task is here. What treasure has been stolen from Yato?Thank you Gio (the_musical_bookworm) for beta-ing me <3Happy birthday Ina!





	The Great Lake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leopah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leopah/gifts).



Yato worked himself into a panic over the next few weeks as the second task drew closer.

He hadn’t slept well since the Yule Ball. Thinking about what the next task would be drove him mad. He knew it would be water, probably in the Great Lake.

But _what_ did they take? And who were ‘ _they_ ’?

Yato wrote to Sakura to consult, but she hadn’t answered. He worried if the Aurors had found her; their letters were risky, after all. Even if he didn’t know exactly where she was, Coo Phone took care of finding and delivering their correspondence.

Eventually he turned to Kazuma for help, not wanting to bother Suzuha and have Yukine’s smug face smiling at him as they would tease the answers from him slowly, making him work for it. As well as that, they seemed to disappear together a lot of the time. Where they went to, neither he or Hiyori knew.

Yato grumbled under a stack of books Kazuma had told him to collect from practically every shelf in the library. This made it difficult to see where exactly he was going as he made his way back to the already cluttered table where he and Kazuma sat.

The books nearly went flying from his arms as he heard an ‘ _oof_ ’ and came to a short stop. Yato lowered the books, allowing his eyes and nose to peek out over the top to see who he nearly ran into.

Yukine stumbled out from behind one of the library stacks in front of him, looking behind at someone before back at Yato.

He looked breathless, face flushed down to his neck with a surprised expression on his face. His mouth opened and then shut again as he fiddled with the collar of his shirt, which Yato noticed had become untucked from his jumper. His tie was in no better state, pulled so it hung loosely around his neck and was all but slipping off.

"What are you doing?" Yato asked. He cocked his head curiously and shuffled the books in his arms.

"Stuff..." Yukine said, trying to make it sound as uninteresting as possible.

This failed as a second later Suzuha appeared behind Yukine with a dopey grin and cheeks nearly as red as Yukine's when he spoke.

"I'm stuff," Suzuha said. He leaned an arm on the bookcase and let himself rest against it with a Cheshire-cat like grin whilst Yukine stuttered excuses.

Yato clicked the messy ties, untucked jumpers and Yukine's attempt at hiding his neck.

"Well," Yato said, a grin worked its way onto his face despite his attempt at suppressing it, "I'll let you carry on with your 'stuff.’"

Yukine muttered something under his breath, though Yato was sure it was more aimed at Suzuha as he began pushing him back the way they came.

Yato shook his head, grin still on his face as he crossed the library and dumped the books in front of Kazuma. He ignored the agitated look Kazuma gave him, leaning over to look at the upside-down book that was in front of him.

“Found anything?”

“Not much, going by what you told me,” Kazuma took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose, quietly closing his eyes for a second before he began breaking down what they knew.

 _“‘Come seek us where our voices_ sound’, that’s obviously the Great Lake, so you’re going to need something to help you breathe underwater.”

Kazuma opened his eyes and placed his glasses back on his nose, picking up one of the dusty leather books.

Yato cocked an eyebrow. “Oh yes, just let me grow some gills quickly.”

“It is possible.”

Kazuma flipped to a bookmarked page and spun it around to Yato as he sat down opposite him. A plant with pale roots and short green leaves greeted him.

Yato wrinkled his nose. “What’s that?”

“Gillyweed, it makes you breathe underwater,” Kazuma said, “with a few other abilities.”

Yato didn’t ask what this meant – he dreaded to think what it would entail. Maybe he would grow flippers and a dorsal fin. Still, there was one part of the song which had bothered him since he opened the egg in the bathroom.

 _“‘We've taken what you'll sorely miss’_.” Yato propped his chin in his hand. “What did they take? I haven’t missed anything.”

Kazuma shrugged. “Something that was precious to you.”

Yato sighed. “And I only have an hour to search for an unknown item in the massive lake that stretches into the horizon?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Yato dropped his arm on the table and rested his head on it, giving a dramatic sigh. Guess he would have to wait and find out. However, the final lines stuck in his head.

_But past an hour, the prospect's black. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

 

~

 

On the bleak grey morning of February 24th, the second task began.

Three stands had been erected in the centre of the Great Lake which was abuzz with activity. Students and teachers had bundled themselves in thick robes and scarves against the near freezing weather, but the four champions had no such luck.

Manabu and Nana stood beside him, bracing the cold in similar attire but in colours respective to their schools – or in Suzuha’s and Yato’s case, house colours.

Wearing only a short jersey vest, long shorts, and no shoes, Yato shuddered as he looked around the central stand. It was so ram packed with officials and teachers and the odd student that Yato couldn’t see anyone he knew.

Kazuma, however, had found him on the lakeshore and given him some Gillyweed which was now stashed in Yato’s sweating hand.

The three headmasters stood behind the champions, as well as Rabo who Yato assumed would act as some sort of lifeguard should the task go awry. The thought of something going wrong underwater, and the steely glare he received from the Auror for staring too long, didn’t fill Yato with much confidence.

Suzuha – who stood on Yato’s right – seemed to be looking around for Yukine. Yato realised that he hadn’t seen him at all, nor Hiyori, since the previous day. He was left with no option but to put his hair into a messy ponytail himself.

At a few minutes to ten o’clock, Yato looked over his shoulder at the sound of footsteps on the wooden platform.

Professor Tenjin had pressed his wand to his throat. His voice boomed across the lake, amplified by whatever spell he was using, and silenced the crowd.

“Our champions are ready for the second task. They will have one hour to recover what has been taken from them.”

Yato still had no idea what he was missing, and from what he could tell, neither did the others. Nevertheless, Professor Tenjin continued.

“On the count of three, the task will begin.”

At this Yato started shoving the Gillyweed in his mouth, chewing the rubbery leaves with haste as the countdown began.

“One… two… three!”

A shrill whistle cut through the air followed by the roaring cheers of the crowd.

Yato barely had time to swallow before he plunged – unceremoniously – into the lake alongside his competitors.

Searing cold water made Yato take an involuntary breath in, water filling his lungs, muffling his choked cry. A stabbing pain ignited his senses as he felt himself sink downwards, away from the filtered light above. Yato kicked his legs uselessly, hands clawing at his neck were the pain grew almost too much to bear, lungs about to burst from a lack of air.

Then it was gone.

Yato took a sharp, panicked breath, limbs falling still as he realised that he was breathing underwater. He dragged his fingers over his neck, just below his ears, finding that two large slits had appeared on either side and were flapping gently.

 _I have gills…_ Yato realised. His surprised turned to his hands – and then his feet – when he realised that a translucent webbing covered his fingers, helping him tread as if he was born in the water.

Yato felt a grin spread across his face. _Thanks, Kazuma._

With a flip of his legs Yato dived, arms by his side as he squinted through the dark landscape that spread out before him. Unknown creatures scuttled out of his way in the forest of tangled black seaweed, concealed by murky water as they watched him apprehensively.

Silence was the only thing that greeted Yato as he searched for his lost treasure, though his honed senses could detect the smallest cackles of creatures that nipped at his feet before ducking away. Not before Yato could see green eyes and sharp teeth mocking him from a flurry of tentacles – Grindylows.

Small silver fish flitted past him as time dragged on, and Yato’s anxiety grew. He hadn’t seen anyone else, he hadn’t a clue where to look, and time was running out. What if he was going the wrong way?

A snatch of singing made Yato stop, looking in all directions for the source.

 _“– searching ponder this_ –”

Yato snapped his head to the left at the voice, not waiting before he took off after the elusive song. He kicked his legs harder, neck craning to follow the gentle voices which grew louder, encouraging him.

It wasn’t until the murkiness subsided that Yato could make out the shape of a stone arch ahead of him. Smaller shapes came into view along with shadows that drifted at the lakes floor. When Yato swam forward he realised the shapes were tethered in position. After a moment the realisation dawned on him that the shapes were bodies. When he got close enough to see their faces his heart faltered.

The first person he recognised was Yukine, golden hair made dull by the dark water that filtered tainted sunlight over his features.

Yato’s heart pounded as he realised that by Yukine’s side was Hiyori, long hair fanning out like a halo.

 _An hour long you'll have to look, and to recover what we took. But past an hour, the prospect's black,_ _too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

Yato kicked his feet in a frenzy, remembering the threat the song promised. He never considered that his prize would be a person.

Once he was near enough Yato pushed himself upwards so that he was level with the pair. Their eyes were closed in a state of serenity, neither stirring as Yato reached out to them.

He cupped Yukine’s face, then Hiyori’s. Still alive.

 _Enchanted sleep…_ Yato realised, _some sort of protection spell must be keeping them from drowning._ His thumbs brushed across Hiyori’s cheeks, wracking her expression in search for some way to wake her.

Only then did he allow his eyes to slide away to scan the other captives. On the far right, a boy he didn’t know, Yukine and Hiyori, and…

Yato felt the pit in his stomach grow deeper when he realised who was right beside him. Small and peaceful, with soft ink hair fanning her pale face, was Nora.

 _What’s she doing here?_ Yato asked himself.

For a moment he lost himself. The solitude of his consciousness in the empty lake, and the four-unconscious people waiting for salvation overwhelmed him.

_Who am I meant to save?_

There was a sharp movement out of the corner of his eye which brought Yato back to reality, its blurred shape quickly approaching from the dim, greenish water. As if in slow motion Yato spun around, arms splayed out and breath catching in his gills.

A shark, coming straight at him with its jaws – bloody with something it had already killed – opened wide.

Yato let out a startled noise and drew his legs up only inches from where its teeth severed the rope holding the boy. Yato stared in disbelief as the boy was towed up to the surface by the rope which hung from the shark’s jaws…

Only, it wasn’t a shark. Well, it was half shark, half red shorts and short legs – Nana.

Yato looked back at the three remaining prisoners, all of which had some sort of connection to him.

_Who am I meant to save?!_

He didn’t have time to choose.

A flash of red seared one of the ropes, allowing Yukine to slowly drift upwards, head tilting back. Yato grabbed his shirt and panicked as he felt something graze his arm. Through his bangs Yato saw Suzuha – wand in hand – swim up by his side.

Yato blinked, surprised to see a bubble of air covering Suzuha’s nose and mouth, but Suzuha’s attention was elsewhere.

He was regarding Yukine with worry, dark hair fanning around his face as he reached to touch Yukine’s cheek. Suzuha pushed Yato’s hands away from Yukine’s shirt which he still held tightly, and Yato got the message.

Of course Yukine was for Suzuha.

Yato let himself float back as Suzuha wrapped an arm around Yukine’s middle and began making long strokes back up to the surface.

Only Nora and Hiyori remained – and there was still no sign of Manabu. Even if Yato knew he was meant to save Nora, he refused to leave until he was sure Hiyori was safe, even if it meant he would come last in the competition.

Yato looked around, apprehension growing as the minutes passed and glimpses of phantom shadows moved in the reeds, none of which emerged to be Manabu.

The hour would be up soon, and for whatever reason, Manabu wasn’t coming.

Yato drew his wand from his pocket decisively. He wasn’t going to leave her behind. With a silent spell Yato severed the rope which tethered Hiyori, grabbing her arm and pulling her closer as Yato moved towards Nora.

Before his wand was raised there was a flash of movement below him and a sharp point pressed to his throat. Yato dared not to swallow as he realised that all the shadows he had seen were the castings of mermaids.

But these weren’t the kind of mermaids from fairy tales.

Their skin was grey, face deepest with yellow eyes and broken teeth that bared at him. Seaweed-like hair trailed out behind them, and Yato didn’t have to breath to know that it smelled just as foul. Pebbled necklaces had been strung around their necks, each armed with a spear which they pointed at him threateningly.

Yato held Hiyori’s arm a little bit tighter.

The creature – the one holding Yato still – hissed two words that made his heart sink.

“Only one!”

Without another word the group dispersed back into the depths and Yato was alone once more. His eyes fell back on the two girls, both oblivious to the decision he would have to make:

Hiyori or Nora.

His eyes flitted between the pair. He knew Hiyori wasn’t his, but he couldn’t leave her, nor could he take both of them…

Yato looked at Nora apprehensively. _What if this is what Father wants? Why else would she be down here when I barely speak to her?_

Yato tortured himself for a moment, but in the end, there was no contest.

Before he could give himself time to doubt his choice, Yato was breaking the surface with his arm wrapped around Hiyori and the final chime of the bell in his ears. Yato took a deep breath of fresh air, treading water as his gills dissolved back into his flesh and webbed digits returned to normal.

Yet Hiyori remained unconscious.

“Hiyori! _Hiyori!_ ” Yato called. _Why wasn't she waking up?_

Treading water and keeping Hiyori from sinking was quickly zapping what remained of his energy. At this rate they would both go under.

Summoning the last of his strength, Yato began kicking furiously until he reached the podium where the crowds were still cheering. Yato caught the ladder rung and held it tightly, one arm still wrapped around Hiyori as she floated limply against him, head on his shoulder.

 _Wake up, wake up_ , the silent chant – a prayer almost – rang through Yato’s head as the seconds ticked by.

Bishamon and Kazuma pushed through the swarm of people gathered around him to haul Hiyori out of Yato’s arms and onto the soaked wooden platform. Bishamon rolled Hiyori onto her side and shook her gently, calling her name as Kazuma pulled Yato up onto the deck.

Yato feel to his knees and pressed his head against the ground, panting heavily. He felt a hand rubbing his back and voices asking if he was ok.

Raised his head, Yato vaguely registered Yukine and Suzuha by his side wrapped in towels against the biting wind that whipped through the stand. Kazuma had a tentative hand on his shoulder, but it didn’t register as he saw Hiyori lying beside him.

Yato dragged himself over to her side, trying weakly to push Bishamon away. He leaned over Hiyori and cupped her cheek to wake her, panic rising in his voice as he called her name.

No response.

Yato worriedly pulled her upper body into his lap and wrapped his arm around her damp lifeless frame, frantically shaking her shoulder as he tried to rouse her.

“Hiyori!” Yato said urgently. “Hey! Wake up!”

After what seemed like an eternity, Hiyori’s body shuddered to life and her eyes flew open. Yato hurriedly slapped her on the back as she sat upright, hacking up water.

Hiyori let herself lean heavily against Yato, head resting against the crook of his neck. A shuddering breath escaped her lips that drowned out Yato’s rushed sigh, relief flooding through him at the feeling her hot breath against his skin.

His hand rested on her head, fingers trembling on her soaked hair as fluffy towels were draped around them. Using his own, Yato softly wiped the moisture off of Hiyori’s face and hair as she looked around in a daze.

Yato barely heard Hiyori’s confused mumble of _‘What’s happening?_ ’ as he looked back at the unbroken surface of the lake.

An unmistakable wave of guilt wash over him.

Nora was still down there.

 

~

 

As with the previous task, everyone ended up in the infirmary as a precaution.

The matron was less than happy to find out what ‘the poor kids’ had been put through this time, cursing under her breath and occasionally repeating _‘Are they trying to kill them?’_ under her breath as she flitted between the beds.

There was no lasting damage, but Yato still sat on Hiyori’s bed quietly hating himself as he looked between Hiyori and Yukine who sat on either side on him.

He had lost points for saving the wrong person but Yato didn’t care. He ended up coming third after Manabu never made it past the Grindylows, which Suzuha said was a good thing before vanishing for a much-needed bath.

But Yato didn’t feel like celebrating.

Nora lay in a bed in the far corner of the ward, curtains drawn after she had been retrieved from the lake following her abandonment. Only when he saw her slip out of the room did Yato realise that she hadn’t been as present in school as before.

_I didn’t even notice she wasn’t at the ball…_

“Yato?” Hiyori said for the fifth time before he heard her. Yato looked at her, eyes wide and nerves frayed.

“What’s wrong?” he asked quickly, confused when she smiled and Yukine huffed a laugh at Yato’s overprotectiveness.

“Thank you.”

Yato stared at her and then Yukine, lost for words.

“It was my fault this happened,” Yato muttered after a pause. He clenched his fists on the damp hem of his shirt. “If I hadn’t put my name in that Goblet –.”

“Technically,” Yukine butted in, “you weren’t the first person to be chosen. You’re not even meant to be in this competition.”

Yato was quiet. That much was true. Deep down the three of them knew that Father had something to do with the bewitched goblet, but who had done it was beyond them. And more importantly, why would they?

 “You both are still getting hurt because of me…” Yato said quietly. He pulled them into a tight sideways hug.

Hiyori put a hand on his back, allowing him to wrap both her and Yukine in a soggy embrace.

Yukine jabbed his finger into Yato’s ribs, voice muffled against his shirt with a hidden smile. “If we’re going to die for you, then you better bloody win.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can blame Jessie (sleepydragon03) for this.
> 
> Originally I planned it to be YatoRi, SuzuNe, ManaYama and NanaBoy, with Yato ending up saving both Hiyori and Yukine. Alas Jessie’s evil notions had me throwing in Nora for the drama. I wonder why she was chosen to be his treasure...
> 
> What Father will have to say about this? And will we ever find out who bewitched the Goblet of Fire?
> 
> Also I’m in the midst of writing the final chapters I’m in Hell™.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are appreciated ~


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